Blush
by onebuttoneye
Summary: A drabble of the early days of Willow and Tara.


Blush

Willow stood nervously in front of her childhood bedroom, she had never been nervous about being here before, but now, as things had changed, as she had changed, and as Tara stood beside her, stepping into the time capsule on the other side of the door seemed like walking into a graveyard where ghosts still haunted her. If she opened that door, would these ghosts announce themselves? Reveal bits of Willow she had buried in holes that wouldn't stay covered? But they were here now and she couldn't ask Tara not to come in, so she swallowed, "You ready?"

"I'm really excited!" Tara bounced forward on her toes, lifting herself up a bit. Her smile was beaming with delight and Willow couldn't help being swept up, letting trust and hope close the lid over her worries. She opened the door, her hand ushering Tara inside. The benign embarrassment of tacky posters and childhood sheets still lingering, Willow blushed and shrugged, "It's just my old bedroom."

"I know," Tara examined the room, taking in every piece like it was a precious artifact, stored and protected at a national museum, "but it's like a piece of you from before, I get a glimpse of what littler Willow was like." Her beaming smile was paired with a look of pure adoration in those cornflower blue eyes.

For a perfect moment, forest green eyes accepted and returned the adoring stare, until Willow spied her open closet door, a familiar gingham monstrosity peaking through. Willow hastily shut the closet wondering why she hadn't burned those old relics years ago. The question left a disgust that she barely concealed, "Believe me that stone is definitely best left unturned."

"What do you mean?" Tara asked watching the movement with gentle concern. She dipped her head to the side, a movement that said Tara was right there with you, vulnerable and open.

Willow crossed over to her girlfriend, slipping her arms around Tara's belly from behind, she placed her chin on Tara's shoulder, rubbing her cheek with a squint when loose tufts from Tara's upturned hair caressed and tickled her. "Well, you know the whole 'being a nerd' thing. I wasn't exactly Miss Popularity. I wasn't even in the same county or state- or possibly even continent- as the popular kids."

"I think I was on another planet," Tara shrugged, her tone thoughtful, "but I never wanted to be like them."

"No me neither really- besides it's in the past right? I have a brand spankin new livin the college life life and…. a gorgeous girl to spend it with." Feather light kisses fell across Tara's neck to punctuate the compliment. Tara didn't know how to respond, wasn't even sure if she could speak past the flush that heated her cheeks or the warm breath that caught and remained in her chest. A ridiculous smile wanted to stretch across Tara's face and live there forever, "So your parents are out of town?"

"Generally always," Releasing her girlfriend, Willow moved to the cage that housed her pet/ ex-friend rat, pouring some pellets into a small bowl. "I'm not even sure how great they are at feeding her when they are here."

Tara crouched beside Willow reaching out her index finger to smooth over Amy's back, "Why didn't you just bring Amy to the dorms? That way you wouldn't have to worry."

"Because I'm not sneaky rule breaker like you," Willow teased, bumping their shoulders together.

"I only break the dumb rules," Tara said with a sheepish smile. But only because she was being called out. The rules really were dumb sometimes.

"Well now that we have Miss Kitty," a blush swept up Willow's collarbone to the backs of her ears. It's that word 'we'. It made Willow giddy and shy at the same time. It made lumps form in her throat, "I am not sure if it's a good idea to bring her there, I don't want to give poor Amy a heart attack."

The blush seemed to leap from Willow to Tara, two flushed faces gazing just inches apart. "Miss Kitty is a huntress," The low sensual tone in Tara's voice said ten thousand lovely things. Amy scratched in her cage and Tara blushed again, feeling too bold and oddly public. She reached her finger through the now closed cage and tickled at Amy's fur again, "She's cute."

"I hope you don't still think so if I ever figure out how to turn her back."

"Depends on if she still has these whiskers or not."

"Tara!" Sometimes Tara was wonderfully strange.

Squirming, Tara shook her head trying to erase the words, "I'm not really into whiskers!"

"I wasn't really worried." Willow giggled.

"Good." Tara stood, desperate to change the subject and wanting to relish in the place where her love spent many years growing up. The Periodic Table sat in honor on Willow's wall and Tara quirked a half smile as she moved toward it. Quickly, Willow was next to her, hands wringing and a look on her face that said she was ready to explain. Wide eyes met wondering brows.

"Willow?" Tara brushed her hand down Willow's arm softly, "are- are you uncomfortable with me in your room?"

"No!" Willow overcompensated and Tara frowned, eyes dropping to the ground. "I mean no, no. Maybe a little- but the discomfort is all me, it's just, you know, geek infested roots."

Tara stepped forward and stood before Willow, she ran her fingers through red hair and Willow leaned into the caress, "I love all your roots." A small giggle erupted from Willow, and she nuzzled into the smooth pale skin of Tara's neck "I thought you were going to say infested roots turned you on." Tara pulled back in mock horror, "Ew." There was a moment when neither spoke, a moment where each wondered if they had said something wrong. Then eyes met and both women burst into laughter, squeezing together as one.

The rat scratching in her cage was the only sound as Tara kissed Willow toward the bed. "So," smoky blue eyes dipped up under long eyelashes, "have you ever made out in your childhood bed?" Willow looked down onto the bedspread, remembering how Oz panicked before graduation day and a guilty flush burned her. Tara's eyes widened momentarily, "Oh." Both girls shuffled and looked anywhere else.

"Um, Oz, I mean… when…"

"Of course, that um, makes sense."

"But…" Willow ventured, her hand reaching out to take Tara's, to still her and bring her back to the present, "Never with you."

"Should we, um, cover Amy's cage?"

"Oh," This time Willow's eyes went as wide as her cheeks went red, suddenly she felt very naughty. And embarrassed. "Great idea," she mumbled, sliding dark cloth over the rat's house.

When she turned, Tara was sitting on the edge of her bed, ready.


End file.
